IMAM Ro.58

IMAM Ro.58

Company type	Prototype aircraft
Industry	Aerospace
Predecessor	IMAM Ro.57
Founded	May 1942
Products	Heavy fighter and ground attack aircraft

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The IMAM Ro.58 represented an Italian twin-engine, two-seat monoplane designed as a heavy fighter and ground attack aircraft, evolving from the earlier IMAM Ro.57. Its maiden flight took place in May 1942, and it was regarded as an overall enhancement compared to its predecessor, primarily due to replacing the Fiat A.74 engines of the Ro.57 with more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 601 engines. The initial test flights revealed numerous issues, and it was only through the exceptional skill of test pilot Adriano Mantelli that the aircraft was saved during its first flight.

Distinguishable by a pronounced dorsal bulge over the fuselage—accommodating two crew members instead of one as in the Ro.57—the Ro.58 featured a twin-tail configuration reminiscent of the Messerschmitt Bf 110.

Powered by the DB 601 engines, its performance surpassed many contemporary single-engine fighters, achieving speeds up to 605 km/h at 5,000 meters altitude, an endurance of 1,500 km, and a service ceiling reaching 10,500 meters.

Its armament was significantly upgraded relative to the Ro.57, equipped with five forward-firing MG 151 cannon—three mounted in the nose and two positioned beneath the fuselage (though these underbelly guns were absent during initial test flights)—alongside a rearward-firing 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine gun for defensive purposes.

When evaluated against the Messerschmitt Me 410, the Ro.58 demonstrated superior capabilities; however, early developmental challenges postponed mass production. By the time these issues were resolved, Italy faced critical resource shortages that hindered manufacturing even single-engine fighters, let alone more costly twin-engine models.

Similar to its predecessor, the Ro.57—which failed to enter production in 1940 or 1941—the improved and better-armed Ro.58 emerged only by May 1942, arriving too late to be produced in significant quantities before Italy's surrender to Allied forces in September 1943.

Specifications

Only a single prototype was constructed.